So This Is Our Answer
by S-o-u-n-d Showers
Summary: A series of vignette-style drabbles with lyric prompts. NejiTen centric! Pure fluff. (Three prompts per chapter and I will do my best to update with new prompts every day or so)
1. Chapter 1

**D: Let's be honest. If I owned Naruto, NejiTen would be fucking canon by now.**

**AN: Well, this is a series of vignette-type oneshots. It is my first lyric inspired fanfic and I'm curious to see where this will go from here. I plan on keeping this as a more-or-less continuous WIP. That being said, there will be probable hiatuses, so keep your pants on! I promise to update as often as I can. Here is the playlist I made that inspired the entire fanfic: /sound_showers/so-this-is-our-answer  
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><p><em><strong>1. IMMORTAL<strong>_

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone,_

_But though you're still with me, I've been alone all along..._

**_- My Immortal, Evanescence -_**

She bleeds in silence, a lone shadow against a starless sky. In bruised arms she cradles his lifeless form, tears mingling with the raindrops that fall upon his pale face. There is nothing else she can do. She has fought at it, clawed her way back from insanity, even sacrificed everything to save him further pain and suffering. Yet in the end, the bitter end, all she can offer him is her love. So, as Tenten presses her lips against his in a final embrace, she finds small comfort knowing his battle is over. There can be peace at last.

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><p><em><strong>2. KING<strong>_

_You're in control  
><em>

_Rid of the monsters inside your head  
><em>

_Put all your faults to bed  
><em>

_You can be king again_

**_- King, Lauren Aquilina -_**

He does not allow himself time to grieve. Grief turns into acceptance, and acceptance becomes forgiveness. The night is cold when he makes his way into the streets of Konoha, flakes of snow glittering against the dark of his hair. There is a lone light burning in her window. It shines like a beacon in the harshness of a violent storm, calling out to him with her reassuring voice. Refusing to feel guilty about it, Neji turns away, she cannot help him in this matter.

His footfalls are light as he leaves the brightly light streets behind him, turning once more into the shadows of night. His feet guide him to the gated courtyard, and he decides it is finally time to pay his father a visit. The latch swings open silently, and he lets his eyes guide him past the countless rows of dearly departed until he finds the one he is looking for. There, in the cover of darkness Hyuuga Neji allows himself time to grieve. To be angry, to swear vengeance, to defy his own fate, to be human. Her presence is suddenly heavy around him, warm arms wrapping his rigid form in a gentle embrace. He lets Tenten run ringers through his hair, allows her to whisper softly that he is not alone.

Nothing is said between them, and no words are needed. She will always be there, wether he likes it or not.

* * *

><p><em><strong>3. RUBIK'S CUBE<strong>_

_The world is too heavy_

_Too big for my shoulders_

_Come take this weight off me now_

**_- Rubik's Cube, Athlete -_**

Neji has always been rather childish when it comes to independence. Perhaps it is because he cannot possibly understand what it feels like to be loved, or maybe he just needs guidance. Tenten is both of these things. She stands at his side, her quiet strength a shining light when his alone is not enough. She is there to yell, slap, and glare at him when he looses his temper and lashes out at his teammates. So too, does she protect him from all his pearlescent eyes cannot see. Pain, suffering, sorrow, lays down her life for him, pushes him to go farther, guards his secrets to the grave, and captivates him completely. Because he lets her cross the invisible line that separates him from the others. Like two polar magnets, they repel and attract each other. In the end, neither one able to let go.

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><p><strong>AN: I'll post three lyric prompts a day (or as often as possible). You know, there's only so much a girl can write before it comes out all crappy and disgusting. Which is why I'm limiting this to three drabbles per chapter. (Actually, no. I'm just lazy.)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: As always, R&R! **

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><p><strong>- I SEE FIRE -<strong>

- Ed Sheernan -

_"If this is to end in fire, then we should all burn together. Watch the flames climb high, into the night."_

Her breath comes in strangled gasps, eyes burning as she struggles through suffocating darkness that smells of acid and burning wood. Lee and Neji have vanished in a violent downpour of explosive tags, while Tenten herself is hurled viciously against rock and loose gravel. As she lies there, assessing her battered body, a hand closes around her throat, cutting off what little air her weakened lungs can manage. She struggles pathetically, holding back cries of pain as a blade is dragged across her exposed face. Instinctively, Tenten bites into calloused flesh, ripping herself free from a would-be-killer.

She fights fluidly, like the ash that falls silently upon her blade. She doesn't mind the pain that shoots through her battered body, if it means Neji has a moment longer with which to gather himself. Her katana hisses against another, sliding and spitting golden sparks that illuminate the darkening smog. Tenten feels herself burning with chakra unrestrained, too bright against the gloom of rising smoke. She's flaring like a candle right before it's extinguished. She has precious moments before the last of her energy is exhausted.

The weapon mistress brings blades of steel raining down upon the enemy nin, killing one of them with a single blow. He drops without a sound but she's already turning to face the remaining shinobi, refocusing as she feels her inner flame tremble dangerously. His kunai finds its mark, embedding itself in the small of her back and Tenten stumbles, momentarily distracted. She doesn't have time to defend against his next attack, coughing out blood as she takes a katana to the abdomen.

Her chakra goes out like a dying ember.

Tenten stops struggling, pushed past her limits and walking the fine line between exhaustion and unconsciousness. Summoning the last of her fleeting energy, Tenten wrenches the kunai from her back and, with one fluid motion, thrusts it deep into his shoulder. It really isn't necessary because seconds later, strong arms lift her safely out of harm's way, Neji's voice echoing faintly throughout the smoke, Lee's grip gentle and protective. Imposing more force than necessary, the Hyuuga slams his palm against her attacker's chest, eliminating him with a blast of Jyuuken.

Coffee brown eyes sweep the clearing until they meet his pearlescent ones. There is concern there that is instantly replaced by relief, and just as quickly, disapproval. Neji leaves the enemy nin where he has fallen, features rearranged in their usual mask of indifference. She still thinks its worth it. Exhausted as she may be, Tenten cannot help the sense of satisfaction that comes with seeing Neji's livid reaction to her injured state. Even so, he stays by her side as Lee bandages the dazed kunoichi, wincing slightly when she lets out an involuntary gasp of pain.

Team Gai stands quiet, silhouetted against a sky that burns of fire and ash. They will live, he thinks, and it's almost a pity.

_"I fear we will become very close indeed..."_

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><p><strong>- MAY IT BE -<strong>

- Enya -

_"When the night is overcome, you may rise to find the sun."_

Tenten feels as if a kunai has pierced her heart. She kneels before the man once known as Might Gai. She cries then, because in the end, he is nothing more than another body on the battlefield. Gone is the charismatic sensei who so often exasperated her, the ghost of a smile still etched upon his lips. Beside her, Lee has thrown himself over his mentor, body heaving with sobs. For Tenten, her tears will come later- when the others have succumbed to exhaustion, their grief forgotten in the fleeting comfort of sleep. Neji stands some distance away, his expression as unyielding as always, though there is a slight sag to his shoulders and he lowers his head in respect. Tenten wrenches her gaze away from Gai's motionless corpse, working tirelessly through her grief as she provides comfort and aid to those in need.

It is almost dawn by the time she staggers off to her tent, the emotions of that evening finally bearing down upon her. Tenten ends up curled silently beside a dying fire, tears rolling down her pale face and pooling into the tangled mess of hair that spills unburden from its buns. The night is cruel and unforgiving. Beneath a jeering moon she grieves, crying not only for Gai, but for the people he has left behind. Lee, with his enthusiasm and youth. For Neji, whom Tenten knows had deep respect for the man despite common assumption. She cries for everything that has been so unfairly taken from them, and though she knows the life of a shinobi is often one of loss, Tenten cannot suppress the tears she sheds.

He says nothing to ease her pain, but Hyuuga Neji tries to be human. For her sake, he sits vigil alongside his teammate, wondering how many others will die before peace is restored. Might Gai's death provides him with yet another reason to loath the Cloud-nin. Neji does not know how long he and Tenten sit there, muscles cramping with fatigue, eyes unseeing and weary, yet it seems as if the morning will never come.

But it does. Though pale and bleak, they wake to a new day and in it's feeble light, realize there will always be a sun to guide their way.

_The night is over, morning has come at last._

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><p><strong>- SHE'S A LADY -<strong>

- Forever The Sickest Kids -

_"She's a lady, and ladies shouldn't be messed with. "_

Tenten grumbles something incoherent, wiping the sweat from her brow with a disgruntled huff. She glares at Neji, who is seated against the tree trunk looking nothing like his perspiring teammate. "This is ridiculous, Neji. I'm about to die from heatstroke and you couldn't care less." She towers over him, hands on hips sporting a completely murderous glare. "OI! LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M SPEAKING TO YOU, PRETTY EYES!"

Neji cracks open an eye, staring back at her with a look that questions her mental health. _Why is she being so loud? _He thinks, trying to tune her out. _I don't have time for this. _

"HYUUGA NEJI!" Tenten bellows, causing her teammate's eyes to snap open in irritation and shock.

"WHAT THE HELL!? YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE PERFECT GENTLEMAN AND THE ROLE MODEL FOR ALL THE OTHER IDIOTS OUT THERE THAT DON'T HAVE A BRAIN!"

Neji glares at her, feeling a muscle in his jaw begin to twitch uncontrollably. In retrospect, he should have seen this coming. One does not work Tenten into a state of absolute indecency without first considering the ultimate consequences of his actions. Obviously, Neji would learn.

"WHAT SORT OF MAN ARE YOU!? HUH! YOU CAN'T EVEN WALK OVER HERE AND FACE ME! FOR A REGISTERED JOUNIN I'D SAY THAT IS PRETTY PATHETIC!"

Insult his humanity. Or, if the circumstances were exceedingly dire, his manhood.

"SOME BALLS YOU'VE GOT! NO WONDER HALF OF KONOHA THINKS YOU'RE A GIRL!"

_Ah, touché._

"GOD HELP THE MAN WHO MARRIES _YOU_!"

Needless to say, Neji is suddenly inspired to heed Tenten's sage advice. They do not train again that day.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Since I feel like I haven't updated in a little while, the next two chapters will have six prompts each, instead of three. Hopefully I haven't bit off more than I can chew! As always, R&R!**

**D: My owning Naruto is about as likely as Miley Cyrus getting clean. In other words, not gonna happen!**

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><p><strong>- CACTUS IN THE VALLEY -<strong>

- Lights -

_"And wipe the mark of sadness from my face. Show me that your love will never change."_

"We've lost so much... Too much."

Tenten's statement is void of emotion, hollow. She stands a little ways away from the tearful ceremony, watching silently from behind a colorless veil. Above, a lone bird sings the last song Might Gai will ever hear. Though he is already gone, the familiar figure resting inside the gilded casket is not her sensei. Merely an empty shell who's soul has finally been set free. Still, Tenten cannot help one last tear. It leaves her sorrowful, topaz eyes and begins it's slow descent down the length of her face.

A hand slowly, almost hesitantly, ghosts her shoulder, and she turns to lock eyes with Neji's searching gaze. "This sadness will come to pass." Though deceivingly nonchalante, it is Neji's way of telling her that he too, is grieving. Tenten says nothing, but quietly slips a hand within his. If he is shocked by her sudden gesture, the Hyuuga does not show it. Instead, Neji slowly wraps his arms around her in what can only be called a hug, not caring who sees them standing there, heads bowed in mourning.

Lee has it even worse. Tears stream silently down his face, as they have been for days. At length, Lee cannot contain himself and he bawls shamelessly for the world to see. He was broken, everything youthful about him absent as he slumps beside his mentor's grave. They were older now, they knew people didn't come back from the dead, and Gai would not be an exception. The battle between Konoha and the Akatsuki rages on for years with the inclusion of other foes, each one bearing power of an unbelievable magnitude. The city is in shambles, people are dying left and right. And now one of their strongest warriors has fallen.

A white haired man stoops beside the devastated youth. "It is time to go, Lee." He says softly, patting him lightly on the back before raising his hand as if in a final salute. Then Hatake Kakashi turns, joining the steady line of darkly clad shinobi already moving away. It is a hard blow for Konoha, and they have already lost so many. From her place at Neji's side, Tenten weeps silently for Lee. For Gai. For every one of her friends that have fallen, never to rise again. Though she has seen this scene countless times, something particularly painful assails her upon seeing Gai so still, so void of energy. As if struck by the same revelation, Lee howls louder than ever, throwing himself over the freshly piled earth, body rocking with sobs.

Neji gently takes her chin in one hand, the other wiping away a glistening tear. The sudden act of kindness, coupled with her fragile heart, snaps the last of her self-control and Tenten buries a tear-stained face in the folds of his fine silk, not caring if her sorrow is ruining the expensive fabric.

"I'm not going anywhere, Tenten."

_No,_ she thinks, _he isn't._

It offers small comfort that shines like a beacon in the flurry of sorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>- WE ARE GOLDEN -<strong>

- MIKA -

_"Teenage dreams in a teenage circus. Running around like a clown on purpose."_

Coming home one evening from an S-Class mission, Neji finds himself faced with a very troublesome problem. It would appear that in his absence, the rest of Team Gai has somehow gotten their hands on a rather baffling amount of sake. Tenten is giggling madly, hair free of its buns, cheeks flushed as she doubles over beneath the table. Lee appears to have worked himself into such a drunken lather that he mistakes Neji for a woman. Twice. The Hyuuga is less forgiving the second time, and responds to his teammate's horrible attempts at seduction by introducing his fist to Lee's face. Neji is extremely relieved to find Gai slumped over in his chair, and, once he makes sure his former sensei isn't drowning in his own drool, allows for a small sigh of exasperation.

_...Honestly, why do I even associate with these idiots? _An evening spent with three drunk morons does not bode well for Neji, who is sorely tempted to abandon all of them (and risk seeing Konoha actively destroyed from within).

"_Neeeeji_._..."_ Tenten is at his side, her hands grasping at the fabric of his shirt as some form of support. She grins mischievously before shoving what is left of her own bottle into Neji's hand. It is still half-full, by the looks of it. "Try some, ehh?"

In times like these, there was only one thing to do.

Heaving another sigh, Neji casts one last look at his intoxicated teammates, knowing he will regret this when tomorrow dawns bright and early. Then he tilts the bottle's syrupy contents into his own mouth.

_If I cannot beat them, I may as well join them._

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><p><strong>- HUSH HUSH -<strong>

- Avril Lavigne -

_"Hush, hush now."_

Tenten's muscles spasm painfully as she drags her broken body closer to the motionless form that is Neji. They have been fighting for hours with no reinforcements, desperate to reunite with Lee who has been missing for days. Both nin are exhausted, pushed well beyond their limits. It is a hard-earned victory that forces Tenten to utilize every weapon in her arsenal. The same can be said for Neji, although he has always been a formidable asset in battle. Even so, he finds himself hovering somewhere between unconsciousness and utter exhaustion, darkness blurring the edges of his vision. He cannot bear the sound Tenten makes as she continues to claw her way towards him, a soft, dragging sound that is punctuated by an occasional gasp of pain. Neji wishes his voice were still functional. He wants to yell at her to stop, to conserve what little energy she has left.

But Tenten keeps coming, even when she impales herself on a makibishi, the kunoichi has eyes only for Neji. As she closes the distance between them, and struggles to catch her failing breath, Neji finally finds the energy to lift his head. Their eyes speak the words they cannot begin to convey aloud, searching each other's face until at last Neji allows himself to go limp. There is no use fighting the inevitable. Though neither of them are seriously hurt, Neji knows they will be unfit to travel for several days at best. It implicates that this battle has been not only careless but unnecessary, and anger flares dimly within him before his eyes close and he surrenders to unconsciousness.

Tenten's heart tightens as the Hyuuga's head rolls limply against her chest. Though she too is on the verge of collapse, her first priority is still (after all these years) Neji's safety. With the last of her energy, Tenten drags herself into a semi-reclined position, her back pushed against a fallen tree. There she wraps her arms around him, eyes fluttering as she runs a hand through his hair absently.

"Hush now, there is hope for us yet..." She is speaking more to herself than Neji, so as the darkness rises to claim her, Tenten commits the events of that evening to memory. _They will live,_ she thinks. **_He_** _will live._

_ All is well._

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><p><strong>- BRAND NEW BITCH -<strong>

- Anjulie -

_"Yeah I know that you (uhh) me good. I remembered when I showed you a thing or two..."_

Kissing _the_ Hyuuga Neji was something only Tenten could pull off. She made it look easy, as if locking lips with the hottest man in Konoha (Sasuke aside) was as easy as reciting the alphabet. Of course, the first time Tenten kisses Neji is completely accidental. Well, more or less. He himself has no memory of this supposed "first kiss", but that doesn't seem to bother him much. Tenten can only cringe whenever the memory is brought up. Of how her thirteen-year-old self dove in after him when he failed to surface some fifteen minutes later. Those awful five-or-so minutes of absolute panic in which she did the only thing her panicked mind could think of. She saved his life.

The second time Tenten kisses Neji is nearly a year later at age fourteen. They are training in the usual forest clearing and Tenten is having the worst day of her life. Neji has managed to pin her countless times, though, to his credit, he slams her against an Oak tree instead of a Pine tree. Which is great because Oak trees, she decides, are _considerably_ softer than Pine trees. He smirks at the kunoichi's pitiful attempts to free herself. Then, acting on a fleeting whim of hers, she grabs the side of his face with one hand and presses her lips against his.

Neji is stunned. Struck dumb. Speechless.

Tenten is _kissing_ him, _he_, Hyuuga Neji is being _kissed_ by his best friend of three years. He is somewhat irritated when he realizes that not only does he not mind it, he has absolutely no intention of breaking away. In fact, he is mortified in accepting the fact that he doesn't want her to stop. For the first time in his life, Neji has absolutely no idea what to do. He's innocent as fresh snow, and has always been (until now) rather proud of that. He couldn't possibly know that Tenten too, is new to the whole kissing business, but that's a whole different story. He stands there for a moment or two before realizing that Tenten has effectively spun him around and is now holding her katana to his throat, wearing one of the largest grins he has ever seen.

_"Gotcha!"_

Naturally, the bastard pretends like it never happened. (This doesn't stop Tenten from teasing him, though. "So, disarming practice today?" she'll ask, giving the Hyuuga one of her evil grins. Incidentally, Neji will turn an interesting shade of pink if she can say it just right.) Then one day she decides it is time to take matters into her own hands. After years of countless hinting, subtle gestures, peer pressure, and Lee's idiotic matchmaking attempts, he still hasn't confessed the fact that he likes her. It is time to take matters into her own hands.

She storms into the training grounds, stomps right up to him, grabs the front of his shirt, yanks him forward, and thoroughly rapes his mouth. Then she turns around and slaps him as hard as she can. "I like you. You like me. Admit it, or I'm gone!" He is so baffled by this, that the dark-haired Uchiha he is fighting actually wins without much of a fight.

_Well, damn._

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><p><strong>- HUMAN -<strong>

- The Killers -

_"My sign is vital, my hands are cold. And I'm on my knees looking for the answer. Are we human, or are we dancer?"_

"You're doing more harm than you are good."

This is Tenten's shrewd observation as she reclines beneath the shelter of an oak tree. Neji says nothing, but she isn't expecting an answer. She watches her teammate continue to train while rain pummels down from above. His jaw is set and he shows no sign of relenting despite the fact he fell flat on his face ten seconds earlier, splattering mud against his shirt. _The training post is going to die today, _Neji decides as he renews his attack on it with doubled ferocity.

It was a stinging remark of Hiashi-sama's that set him off; somehow, it's always that. Neji thought he had gotten past the point where his uncle's insults hurt him. Evidently not. The later causes a fresh wave of anger to surge up within him.

_"If you should ever hope to beat me, then you must become stronger. You are useless to me as you are."_

The rain falls heavily on the ground, turning green turf into muddy terrain. Tenten and Neji are both getting soaked, yet neither of them seem to care. Tenten has stood in the shadow of the oak for three hours, her face shadowed and unreadable as she watches Neji's brutal self-punishment. Her eyes narrow as he displays the extent of his obsession with obliterating Konoha's communal training grounds. She wonders why she's even here; it's not for the sake of keeping Neji company, and it certainly isn't because she secretly cares. Or so Tenten tells herself.

As the Hyuuga drains his system of chakra, he thinks that he wouldn't be feeling so bruised if this was Hiashi himself he were battling, but it's just a wooden post. Inflexible, hard, and inflicting far more pain than human blows ever could.

"Is this because of what your uncle said?" Tenten's voice carries a sharp edge like one of the kunai she wields, and her eyes flash like dulled topaz.

Neji ignores her, but the set of his jaw speaks for him. _Yes. _

The skin on his knuckles is buckling now, and he knows it. Not from cold, but from raw force. He pushes these thoughts from his mind, because he cannot afford to think about his weak, pathetic, (_exhausted) _body right now. If he lets himself go there, to a place that knows him better than even Tenten does, he isn't sure he'll be coming back. His life has been one failed attempt to grow stronger and it hasn't done him a whole lot of good. Because in the end, Hyuuga Neji is still a Caged Bird, and he knows that nothing will ever be good enough to to take that mark of his forehead. _Nothing._

The wood buckles, caving in on itself as Neji's Jyuuken slams into it for what must be the millionth time. He collapses next to the fallen post, landing face first in the mud, utterly defeated and whole-heartedly miserable. His hazy mind identifies the sound of sandals squishing against mud. _Tenten_, he thinks blearily, hoping she'll put him out of his misery with her impressive arsenal of deadly weapons.

Instead, Tenten pulls him to his feet, her hands gently wiping away the mud that covers his face. "I told you. But you never listen, do you?" She half-carries, half-drags him to a dry place, under the oak seems like a good idea. As they crouch there, beneath the towering tree, Neji looks down and is shocked at what he sees. The skin on his knuckles is hanging off in bloodied strips, and everything else is black and blue from bruises. It is only now, in the aftermath of his rage that Neji realizes how exhausted he truly is. His hands ache. Everything aches. There is a moment of silence in which he sags back against the aged trunk, eyes closing in a mixture of pain and sleep-deprivation.

_Did I really do all of this?_

Tenten shakes him lightly then, biting her lip grimly as she draws a roll of bandages and busies herself with his wounds.

"This will burn," she mutters.

"Id be surprised if it didn't," Neji retorts cooly, though he winces nonetheless as she does her deed.

Tenten's mouth twists in wry amusement as she finishes with his arms and moves on to the prodigy's mutilated hands. The kunoichi cannot stand to look at them longer than she has to, his blood staining her own bandaged hands. He will kill himself one of these days, it is only a matter of time. Pulling a vial of disinfectant from her pouch she turns to warn the pale-looking Hyuuga. "And this will hurt. A lot."

Neji averts his gaze, pearlescent eyes focusing on something that Tenten cannot see. Taking this as a sign of submission, the weapon mistress begins to pull at the loose skin on his knuckles. He twitches, every muscle in his body tensing as the kunoichi wraps a layer of gauze around his throbbing hands.

"I will _not _remain such as I am now." Neji feels like he has to defend his actions, as if Tenten's said something meant to challenge him. Her task finished, he quickly withdraws his hands from where they rest, limp in Tenten's own.

Silence consumes them once more.

Then, "stop trying so hard." She is studying his face carefully, searching for something that Neji, with his all-seeing Byakugan, cannot perceive. He glares at her instead, his jaw set.

"Nothing else will ever satisfy him. It will be as it is fated."

Tenten shakes her head, brown eyes clouding with a distant sadness. "You're only human, Neji. You _can't_ do everything. You _don't_ have to keep living up to your uncle's expectations, and you don't have to keep making _your_ body pay the price."

For the moment, he allows himself to be persuaded by her rational argument, though deep down, Neji wishes he could genuinely believe what she is saying.

_He wishes he could believe it. But he can't._

* * *

><p><strong>- STARRY EYED -<strong>

- Ellie Goulding -

_"Oh, everybody's starry eyed. And everybody glows."_

The cherry blossom trees are clustered around a lake. A warm gust of wind brushes past, sending pale pink petals raining down from above. Tenten sits in the midst of it all, plucking a blossom from where it floats lazily above her head. She savors these precious few moments; being a kunoichi, she is almost always busy. And if she can get away from Lee and Gai-sensei, well, that's even better. There is no time for being children and Tenten does something to remedy that. So here she is, spread eagle on her back, grinning stupidly at a bunch of falling plants.

Tenten is humorously chasing butterflies when a shadow crosses her own. Whirling around, she comes face-to-face with Neji who is holding a neatly wrapped bento. She feels a thrill, something warm that makes her quiver inside. Neji settles himself on the branch above her, looking like one of the fantastical princes she used to read about in her younger years. Except Hyuuga Neji is no children's book illustration.

"I brought you lunch," his voice, cold as ice yet softer than silk, filters down through the leaves. "Lady Hinata made extra." His hair falls in gentle stands, framing a pale face that is carefully thoughtful. Crystalline eyes set beneath arching brows sweep across the lakeside, his limbs draped casually in a state of rare peacefulness.

_"Beautiful..."_ The words are out of her mouth before she can properly filter herself. From his lofty throne, Neji lifts an eyebrow questioningly.

"Nothing. It was nothing!" Tenten squeaks as Neji leaps gracefully from his perch. The scandalized kunoichi wonders frantically if there is a limit to how red she can possibly get. "I was, um, commenting on the blossoms, you know?"

Neji smirks and tosses her the bento, noting her quick reflexes as she catches it. "Oh, I don't know...I'm pretty sure you were meant_ I_ was beautiful." The Hyuuga's taunting smile widens as Tenten's face goes from pink to crimson. This blush has nothing on Hinata. He doesn't have long to gloat because his teammate is suddenly returning the smirk, an all too familiar gleam in her eye.

"Is the great Hyuuga Neji _teasing_ someone?" She trills loudly, dancing infuriatingly out of reach. A second later however, she scampers back and cocks her head to one side in mock contemplation. "Now that you mention it Neji, perhaps beautiful is more appropriate. After all, wasn't it Naruto who tried to hit on you? I bet if you flipped your hair it would be all... _flippy_." Tenten adds slyly, busying herself with the bento.

Several meters away, crouched stealthily within the hydrangea, Lee and Gai promptly burst into tears of joy. However, their joy is short-lived as it quickly becomes apparent that Neji and Tenten have started a food fight.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Poor Gai! I seem to kill him every second chapter! Not intentional, I'm just sluggish and sick and out of ideas. For the moment. <strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**- EROS AND APPOLO - **

- Studio Killers -

_"All the other men turn gay wherever he goes! Wow!"_

It didn't happen very often, but Tenten thought it hilarious when men hit on Neji by accident. Lee also found it incredibly amusing, though he was significantly less subtle at hiding it than Tenten. Ducking under the nearest table to hide her laughter (and to avoid getting hit in the face by a bowl of soup), Tenten watched Neji chase after a hysterical Lee.

There would be hell to pay for once the dust had settled, but it had probably been worth it.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Why is it that, whenever we go to a bar, men hit on Neji more than me?"

The question came from Tenten, who, in a moment of carelessness, had given voice to her thoughts. Beside her, Lee snorted into his ramen, earning him a flurry of concerned, mildly annoyed, looks. While Neji did not spew the contents of his lunch halfway across the room, Tenten's not-so-discreetly-phrased comment _did_ cause him to inhale a large quantity of scalding hot tea.

_"What!?"_ he spluttered, his voice an octave higher than usual (though this may have been largely influenced by the boiling liquid he'd recently breathed in).

Flushing, Tenten buried her face in her hands, cursing mildly. "Argh- t-that's not what I intended to say!" Peeking through a gap in her fingers, the mortified kunoichi attempted to rectify her previous statement. "Er- I was implying that Neji has, um, nice... hair?"

_Smooth, Tenten, smooth. _

Screaming internally, she took a deep breath, painfully aware of the defiled look Neji was giving her. "Oh, for God's sake. IT'S NOT MY FAULT PEOPLE THINK YOU LOOK LIKE A WOMAN, OR THAT YOU WERE BORN WITH RIDICULOUSLY LONG AND SILKY HAIR!"

Silence.

Then, "I'm afraid I must ask you to lower your voices, you're disrupting the other patrons."

Tenten decided she was just about ready to die.

* * *

><p><strong>- YOUNG VOLCANOES -<strong>

- Fall Out Boy -

_"Tonight, the foxes hunt the hounds."_

She stood on a windy hillside, the tags hanging from her weapons rustling gently in the twilight wind. Long tendrils of hair blew parallel to them, falling in front of her topaz-colored eyes before they were swatted away. The fabric of her garment was a gentle, ivory white and accentuated by a thin strip of ebony silk knotted fittingly around the waist. Tenten's clothes were simplistic- functional not fashionable, yet somehow managing to compliment the gentle curves she so rarely flaunted. The sound of soft footfalls upon wet grass startled her.

Spinning around, she smiled warmly as the familiarity of his voice washed over her.

"You've let your hair down," Neji stated absently, resting his chin on her shoulder in a rare gesture of physical affection. Waving a hand dismissively, Tenten turned to face him, her gaze resting upon his wintry features.

"Thank you, captain obvious," she chided quietly, running her fingers through his hair. "I had no idea."

Though he made no immediate answer, the corners of his mouth twitched in amusement.

"Hn." Neji withdrew his chin from it's resting place, moving so that he was sitting cross-legged upon the grassy knoll. "You inspire it," he commented idly, shifting so that she could rest her head in his lap. They were silent then, neither one daring to break such a precious moment. He was thinking of nothing in particular when Tenten whacked him frantically, practically jumping up and down with barley concealed excitement.

_"Neji!"_ she hissed in as loud a whisper as she dared, tugging at his sleeve. "Look over there!"

Scowling somewhat, he turned to look at whatever it was she was pointing at, feeling his jaw drop in a mixture of disgust and horror. Sprawled lazily on the grass below them, were two figures so tightly intertwined in one another, Neji had difficulty making out who's limbs belonged to whom. At a loss for words, he turned to Tenten in utter disbelief. Surely that wasn't who he thought it was, presently engaging in all sorts of ungodly acts.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Neji, but isn't that Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata?" Tenten grinned wickedly, shooting him a look that clearly said, I-told-you-so.

"I- I'm going to be sick," he declared faintly, tearing his gaze away, "... and then I'm going to _kill_ Uzumaki Naruto."

Thinking quickly, Tenten quite literally, threw herself at him- both of them going down in a tangled mess of flailing limbs. He hadn't even time to process what had happened before she was silencing him with an improvised kiss. She was trying to give him a heart attack, wasn't she? They broke apart, somewhat breathless, cheeks flushed and feeling considerably awkward. Then, when the initial swell of emotions had calmed to a gentle lull, she cocked her head to one side, fixating him with mock inquisitiveness.

"_Now_, who was it you were going to kill?"

"... Nevermind. We saw nothing."

* * *

><p><strong>- ALL ABOUT US -<strong>

- He Is We (Owl City) -

_"Take my hand, I'll teach you to dance. I'll spin you around, won't let you fall down."_

The Bananas were at it again.

It didn't matter how many casualties they suffered; at some point their ranks would be refilled and the war would continue. They were resourceful as well as resilient though you might not think so when you first see them all innocent and yellow, peering up at you, huddled in bunches like shy little children behind their mothers. Something about their manner tugged at your heart strings. There was a whimsical cuteness and simplicity to their nature.

The goddamned Bananas were anything but shy and adorable—they were the terror of the Konoha Platoon, their numbers overwhelming, and more than ready and willing to stab you in the back when you least expected it. One would assume that they were the masterminds behind the entire battle.

You would be mistaken.

But Tenten digresses. After all, since when did Hyuuga Neji willingly partake in an all out food fight? Though honestly, the look on his face when she sent her small arsenal of soft fruit smashing into his perfect hair, had been nothing short of golden. Besides, he needed to start acting his age once in a while- for god's sake, they were only seventeen! One could be forgiven for having a completely immature food fight because to hell if anybody else cared. Tenten could have sworn she'd even seen Tsunade get in on the action. A flicker of movement caught her attention, and she whirled around, grapes at the ready. Neji was quicker, and before she could so much as gasp, he'd triumphantly pelted her with fish.

_Oh, he was asking for it now._

Screeching, she tore after him, narrowly avoiding Naruto who, cackling madly, was being chased by an ice-cream and shake n' bake covered Sasuke. Snatching a bottle of Maple Syrup from an overturned stand, she darted into a back alley opposite the market and waited- revenge would be sweet. The reason all of Konoha was currently throwing food at every moving object, was unsurprisingly, Naruto's fault. Word on the street suggested he had shoved a cream pie in Sasuke's face during one of their typical scuffles.

It didn't take a genius to put two and two together and go from there.

In all honesty, Tenten had been formidably caught in the crossfire- one between a fuming Ino (who's hair was beyond saving) and a terrified, albeit highly amused, Shikamaru. Now, of course, she simply had to partake in the rapidly intensifying battle. It had only been a matter of time before Neji made the mistake of being his snobby self. Seeing his teammate covered in what appeared to be a mixture of smashed pineapple and carrot juice, he got as far as a disapproving look before Tenten casually smashed a banana into his face. Though Hyuuga Neji's natural reaction would have been to beat the living daylights out of her, he suddenly found himself smirking childishly, a sense of pure _fun_ creeping over him. He decided that for once, he would let go. Embrace this rare chance to throw food at whomever he wished, and not care about his reputation. It was, in one word, a complete paradox that never should have happened.

Case in point the current situation: with Tenten prying open the Maple Syrup and Neji about to be sugar-coated in a hair-ruining sweetness.

And it was the most fun either of them had ever had.

* * *

><p><strong>N: <strong>OMG. The last drabble had to be re-written like, 50 times, because my webpage kept crashing and the save button was all frozen. Urk. So, as a result, it may be a bit rushed. I apologize for that.


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